{"id":16715,"date":"2012-08-22T16:18:18","date_gmt":"2012-08-22T20:18:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/?p=16715"},"modified":"2012-08-22T18:29:06","modified_gmt":"2012-08-22T22:29:06","slug":"teenage-dream-converse-ultra-high-tops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2012\/08\/teenage-dream-converse-ultra-high-tops\/","title":{"rendered":"Teenage Dream: Converse Ultra-High-Tops"},"content":{"rendered":"

I tried to get an interview with someone from Converse for my Huffington Post wedge sneaker story<\/a>, but, unfortunately, it didn’t work out. I wanted to ask the company about its sales because it seems to me that Converse’s classic Chuck Taylor sneaker — whether low-top or high-top — has become more popular than ever over the past few years.<\/p>\n

I’ve noticed this in New York, but I’m hyper-aware of it when I’m traveling to other cities and observing what both the locals and tourists wear. For instance, I have long kept an eye on the shoe situation in Paris because, despite Parisians’ reputations for head-to-toe chic, I think the footwear there has nothing on New York. (Sorry, French peeps!) A couple of summers ago, I noticed an increasing number of Converse-wearers in Paris, which I considered an improvement. This June<\/a>, there were even more, plus plenty of Isabel Marant and Marant-style wedge sneakers. I was obsessed with the Converse situation by the time MrB and I moved on to London<\/a>. That’s where I started counting Converse — during a 30-minute walk I counted 34 pairs and those were just the ones where I could clearly see the Converse name on the shoes. I excluded unverified but Converse-like styles from my tally.<\/p>\n

I was fascinated by the variety of people who sported Converse. It’s not like it was in the ’90s when Chucks were mainly for rebels like Kurt Cobain.<\/p>\n

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Kurt Cobain. Click for source.<\/p><\/div>\n

I saw the shoes worn by whole families, including parents and their pre-teen children; fashion-conscious teenage girls who clearly put a lot of time into their appearance; skate punks; and businesspeople trudging to work in their suits.<\/p>\n

So is it just my imagination? Or have Chucks taken over the world? These days, Converse offers more options than I ever dreamed of when I first coveted a pair of Chucks in the 1980s: there are styles including double laces, fold-over high tops, multiple-tongued sneakers and slip-ons; a rainbow of colors; and collaborations with design houses Missoni and Marimekko<\/a>. There are country-flag Converse, Dr. Seuss Converse and DC Comics Converse. You can even design your own Chucks on Converse.com<\/a>.\u00a0 But the sneaker that would have thrilled the teenage me the most is the 16″, zip-up, XX-Hi style (you can customize it too).<\/p>\n

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Click to shop.<\/p><\/div>\n

If I had been able to wear that sneaker when I was a kid, I wouldn’t be here today because I would have died from my own coolness. At least I would have gone with a smile on my face! Luckily, I’m made of stronger stuff now, because if Converse comes out with a black leather version of this with a 4″ wedge, I’m getting it. Consider that a pre-order, Converse folks!<\/p>\n

UPDATED TO ADD: The Atlantic has a story called “The Racial Divide on … Sneakers”<\/a> that has some interesting Converse history in it. <\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I tried to get an interview with someone from Converse for my Huffington Post wedge sneaker story, but, unfortunately, it didn’t work out. I wanted to ask the company about its sales because it seems to me that Converse’s classic Chuck Taylor sneaker — whether low-top or high-top — has become more popular than ever…<\/p>\n

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